In collaboration with Payame Noor University and Iranian Society of History

Document Type : pajoheshi

Authors

1 M.A.Student, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of Urban Planning and Design, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

3 Associate Prof., Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

10.30473/lhst.2026.73947.2984

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
This study examines the historical thresholds of Shiraz as perceived by foreign travelers from the beginning of the Safavid era through the end of the Qajar period. By focusing on the natural and built elements that shaped these entrances, the research explores how thresholds influenced the city’s urban identity and symbolic boundaries across the Safavid, Afsharid, Zand, and Qajar dynasties. Utilizing a documentary-analytical method and qualitative content analysis via ATLAS.ti software, 25 travelogues were meticulously selected and analyzed to provide a unique perspective on the city’s spatial evolution and cultural resonance. The findings reveal that travelers’ perceptions were framed by a dynamic interplay between the natural geography—including the encircling mountains, lush vegetation, and peripheral gardens—and man-made structures such as gates, city walls, domes, and cemeteries. These elements functioned not only as physical markers but as evocative gateways to the broader cultural and historical experiences of Shiraz. Furthermore, the research highlights how the gradual destruction and transformation of these thresholds, particularly the significant alterations occurring during the Qajar period, profoundly changed the city’s urban landscape and its historical identity. By comparing accounts across four key historical periods, the study demonstrates that these entrances were vital to the external understanding of Shiraz’s legacy. Ultimately, this analysis enriches our understanding of how historical thresholds acted as both physical and symbolic transitions, reflecting the city’s evolving identity through the eyes of external observers and documenting a sense of loss for its altered state over time.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

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